Having scanned the barracks with the flashlights, you move to the next doorway in formation.

You enter a small temple 30 feet across east to west and 20 feet deep north to south. There is a door in the center of the south wall (which you enter from) and another at the east end of the north wall. Within this dark room there is a trace of smoke in the air from a dull red glow is visible from a pile of burning incense in the center of the room (recently lit too). Against the west wall stands yet another statue of Hamon-rye, his hands forming an altar platform 5 feet above the floor.

Prostrate on the ground in front of the statue is an Egyptian woman dressed in a simple white robe, her black hair encircled by a golden torc, crowned with a blue azure Ankh. She makes no movement and seems to notice you coming in. There is something odd about her skin though - it looks waxy and very smooth.

Luke frowned when he noticed the woman standing in front of the statue, wearing the garment of a priestess or divine maiden perhaps. He didn't know much about Egyptian religion, or culture for that matter, but he knew about women. He knew a LOT about women. For one: smooth skin was good, waxy, flawless skin usually wasn't. It was a sign of a frantic, obsessive mind, like a mask hiding the true nature under a beautiful façade. The women with perfect skin he had encountered, while being employed as an over-amorous milkman, usually ended up being the ones who turned out to be most conceited. This made him fancy the more mundane and imperfect women more. They knew their ‘adventure' to be just that, and nothing lasting or permanent.

"Madam," he addressed the woman, "we must ask you to leave this building at once. We believe it is quite unsafe for you to stay here."

Of course he guessed that she was probably more dangerous and likely to attack them then any of the other hazards inside the temple, but he thought the gallant approach would work in their advantage. If she thought they were no threat, she might be more inclined to talk. If she turned out to be undead or after their blood for other reasons, it didn't hurt to waste a few words to be certain. He just hoped the rest of his team knew to be as ready as ever. A conversation didn't mean he was letting down his guard.

As they entered the room, Sarge noticed the woman. Then again it was hard not to notice her as she lay prostrate on the ground. "Ah great, a bird." he muttered. "I'll be my last fag no good comes of this one". As usual, the decision was up to the captain but Sarge was ready for his gut told him this would not be a nice meeting.

As the group moved to the door, Corban held his usual position in the rear. He'd watched the rear as they searched and moved through the barracks. Now he watched the rear at the new room. But it was never wise to be completely ignorant of what was in front of you. So he glanced into the room and saw the waxy woman and the statue.

Crud. He'd been enjoying the empty rooms. But it couldn't last, could it? Why would she be prostrate on the ground when clearly a fight was taking place in her temple? Who was she? What did she hope would happen? And the waxy skin - vampire? When something didn't look natural in a place like this experience said it probably wasn't.

He heard his commanding officers polite comments and lightly chuckled. Legends always spoke of the devil as a smooth talker, was he (she?) also susceptible to sweet talking? They would find out. He held his position at the door they entered. He'd let someone else watch the other door, he watched the events in the room, but kept one eye on the way they had come. As always, nothing would come on them unawares from the rear.

The team moved through what appeared to be some sort of barracks. The sounds of battle still came to Doc's ears so they need to follow the sound. Sarge led them through the doors at the end of the room. The smell of burning incense filled his nose as the doors were opened.

Entering the small 30 by 20 room it appeared it was some sort of ceremonial room. The smell was coming from a burning pile in the center of the room. At one end of the room was an exit door and at the other was another of those statue guys. The oddest thing was a prone female on the floor in front of the statue. By her features she appeared to be Egyptian and she was dressed in white like some sort of priestess.

Sarge muttered first,""Ah great, a bird,. "I'll be my last fag no good comes of this one". The Captain trying to be the diplomat then commented, "Madam,,"we must ask you to leave this building at once. We believe it is quite unsafe for you to stay here."
Doc let out sigh," Sir, from her looks I doubt if she speaks English. ,. She doesn't look natural so I'd suggest we just move along out that east door,.If she moves maybe Star would be the better to speak,you know woman to woman,and maybe in an old tongue." Doc nodded to Star, "This looks more like your thing." Watching carefully he then started to move toward the other door.

Star moved to stand between captain an sarge. Her eyes raking over the alter then over the woman.

"May the great lord Hamon-rye's benevolence shine upon you priestess. take your leave of this place thus-sly an know in thy heart his true protection an blessings be upon you." Star's voice echo'd hollowly against the chamber walls, in broken Egyptian.

Star pulled her cowl up more, half covering her mouth to filter out the incense smoke stiffing a soft cough.

Placing a hand on the captains' arm in warning in a low whisper Star's eyes flitted around the room looking for tell signs in hieroglyphs.

"Many priestesses attested to be seers burned Opiates an many unsavory things to call upon their visions. I do not trusts this waxen puppet." Star's voice was almost venomous as her eyes raked over the woman in front of them.

"Madam," he addressed the woman, "we must ask you to leave this building at once. We believe it is quite unsafe for you to stay here."

Sarge muttered first,""Ah great, a bird,. "I'll be my last fag no good comes of this one".

Doc let out sigh," Sir, from her looks I doubt if she speaks English. ,. She doesn't look natural so I'd suggest we just move along out that east door,.If she moves maybe Star would be the better to speak,you know woman to woman,and maybe in an old tongue." Doc nodded to Star, "This looks more like your thing."

"*May the great lord Hamon-rye's benevolence shine upon you priestess. Take your leave of this place thus-sly and know in thy heart his true protection and blessings be upon you.*" Star's voice echo'd hollowly against the chamber walls, in broken Egyptian. Star pulled her cowl up more, half covering her mouth to filter out the incense smoke stiffing a soft cough. Placing a hand on the captains' arm in warning in a low whisper Star's eyes flitted around the room looking for tell signs in hieroglyphs.

"Many priestesses attested to be seers burned Opiates and many unsavory things to call upon their visions. I do not trust this waxen puppet." Star's voice was almost venomous as her eyes raked over the woman in front of them.

The waxen lady gets up off the floor and stands in a very statuesque poise for a moment before turning toward the team. You see that as she faces you, her eyes glow a deep blue, as do her fingernails, and the brightness of the glow is growing brighter. She moves her head slowly, regarding all of you but when she looks towards Star, she bows her head slowly in respect or even recognition. She opens her mouth and draws a deep breath, as if breathing for the first time and then in a loud but feminine voice says, "hal takhdim aleashiqa ? hal hadhih qurbanana laha lilttadhia?"

All eyes of the team turn to Star. She thinks hard as the words tumble in her mind, "Umm something about The Mistress and I think she's asking if I want to offer you guys as a sacrifice."

A soft smirk crosses Stars face as she nods back to the priestess, an speaks.

"Ah, tho the warriors with me are virtuous an worthy of Hamon-rye's benevolence an honor. Their fate as our own, is still upon the goddess Neth's loom. As she weaves all our lives, good or ill. "

Star shifted her cloak so that her hands were free benith it but still conseiled. Standing up a little straighter, though it pained her to do so Star spoke again her voice hinted with a air of authority.

"we seak those who wish to subjugate the people that worship in this temple, an mar the scantiety of this holy temple leaving only discreate an ruin within their wake."

Star watched the woman's body an face for tell's of her reaction to her words. Tracing a warding seal into the wax covering of a vile of brined holy water. both salt an water had been blessed. Though Star had never had the chance to use it before, she was unsure it would work completely to bind the entity before them.

If it was left up to most of the guys they'd shoot first and sort things out later. But Star took the lead as Doc was sure she would. It wasn't just a girl thing, Star was the expert in sort of thing. As she addressed the figure on the floor the waxen lady rose and spoke to her,"hal takhdim aleashiqa ? hal hadhih qurbanana laha lilttadhia?".

Under his breath Doc mumbled, "What the blazes does that mean?"

Star's brief translation was a bit unnerving, "Umm something about The Mistress and I think she's asking if I want to offer you guys as a sacrifice."
A soft smirk crosses Stars face as she nods back to the priestess, an speaks. It just more that same gibberish.
Star shifted her cloak. Standing up a little straighter she spoke again, her voice hinted with a air of authority, but it was still more of that foreign stuff. He saw Star watched the woman's body an face for tell's of her reaction to her words.

Doc's hand rested on his 45, he did not know if that waxy glowing thing could die, but at least a few slugs might give Star a chance to do her voodoo on it.

Corban held back from laughing at the waxy-lady-things comments. Laughing would probably not be well received by either the lady, who might be offended, or his own team, who might mistake it for hysteria. So instead he held his position, keeping an eye on the lady, but more so watching the parties rear.

He was curious what would happen to this lady. But he was pretty sure it wouldn't be their sacrifice. Not one graced by Star anyway. Guns ready, as always, he thought.

"Told ya now good would come from this bird. What say we allow her to be the sacrifice captain."

The captain tried to hide his confused look as Star conversed with the waxy woman before them. Star appeared to have the situation under some form of control. That form being that the woman was willing to talk instead of just rushing at them with raised fangs and talons. He decided to await the result of the conversation and keep his gun ready just in case words couldn't help them in their progress.

The wax priestess seems to either be confused by Star's words or mulling them over - hard to say with a molded face. But suddenly her eyes and hands glow intensely blue and she makes a grabbing gesture in the air and cries out, " Hamon-rye im yaeud syd maebad bldy!"

All the men in the room feel incredible pain at the same time - like a vice was suddenly clamped around their heart. Unable to do anything due to the searing agony within their chests - they all fall to the ground.

Then holes begin to appear in the wax figure. A bunch of holes tear open across her chest like someone strafed her with a machine gun. Then more holes perforate her body in the torso and head until the wax figure crumbles to pieces. As she does, the blue light disappears and the men are no longer suffering.

The remains of the wax lie on the floor and do not reform or move in anyway.

As the strange lady moved her hands and spoke, pain seared into Sarge's chest. Pain unlike any other he felt and that was saying quite a bit. Helpless he fell to the ground. Not long afterwards, the pain subsided and Sarge rose to his feet. As he stood he saw the remains of what once was the woman melted on the floor. "Bugger all. What is it with crazy birds and causing heart-aches? Anyone see what happened?"

Star brought her hand up to shield her eyes from the light as the wax priestess crumbled to the floor.

Turning to make sure the men were ok.
Star gruffly scoffed.

"anyone dead?"

Stars brow furrowed an she brought her hand to her mouth to muffle a loud sneeze, waving her other hand in front of her as if to wave off the offending dust.

softly mulling over the priestess words.

"Hamon-rye in yaeud syd maebad bldy"

Star turned an looked at the captain.

"she said Hamon-rye is not longer master in my temple. "

Star looked at the crumbled puppet on the floor.

"then what .... or who... is?"